Static-influence electrical machine.



No. 779,190. PATENTED JAN. 8, 1905, E. THOMSON. STATIC INFLUENCE ELECTRICAL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, 1903,

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STATIC INFLUENCE ELECTRICAL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, 1903.

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WITNESSES- UNITED STATES Patented January 3, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELIHU THOMSON, OF SVVAMPSCOTT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

STATIC-INFLUENCE ELECTRICAL MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 779,190, dated January 3, 1905.

Application filed August 12,1903. Serial No. 169,190. 4

To all whom it Huey concern..-

Be it known that I, ELIHU TnoMsoN, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Swampseott, in the county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Static-Influence Electrical Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for generating static electricity; and its object is to provide a machine of this class adapted to be used as a source of special discharge of moderate potential and constructed so as to occupy a minimum of space and also-to contain in contact with the movable mechanism as little air as possible, thus preventing the production of ozone in any quantity and avoiding the damaging effect of the same on the insulation and other materials subject to its oxidizing effects.

My improved apparatus belongs to the class of electrostatic multipliers, and its novel features will be hereinafter set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a cross-section on the line 1 1, Fig. 4. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation. Fig. 3 is a side elevation with the pulley and one side plate of the casing removed and one standard broken away. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine complete. Fig. 5 is a blank for an armature-segment, and Fig. 6 is an edge View of the armature with one segment partly applied. 7

Supported by suitable standards 1 on a base 2 are journal-bearings 3, in which runs a shaft 4:, provided with a pulley 5 or other means for driving it. Secured to each bearing is a stationary plate 6, of insulating material, such as hard rubber. The plates are parallel and are spaced a short distance apart by a ring 7, to which their edges are fastened, as by screws 8, the parts being closely fitted together, preferably with rabbeted joints, as shown. Close to the inner face of each plate is a thin annular sheet 9, of mica, hard rubber, or other insulating material, held in place by the fastening-screws 8 and forming, with the plate, a double wall. Between each plate and its sheet are embedded two sectors 10 11, made, as usual in influence-machines, of varnished paper or tin-foil, or of both, or made of silver-paper or other fairly conducting material in thin sheets. There are preferably four such sectors, one on each side of the shaft, each forming, with its corresponding piece, a pair that is, between each plate and its sheet are two elongated bent oval sectors on diametrically opposite sides of the shaft and the sectors on the same side of the shaft register with each other.

On the shaft is mounted acircnlar disk 12, of insulating material, which almost fills the narrow space between the sheets 9, sufficient clearance being left to prevent contact when the shaft and disk are rotated. The disk 12 carries on each side a plurality of sheet-metal segments or armatures 13, which may be shaped as shown in Fig. 5 and doubled over the edge of the disk. Fig. 6 shows two armature-segments connected by a strip of metal, being bent down into place. The armatures are spaced equidistant, sixteen being shown in Fig. 3.

Mounted in the ring 7 are a plurality of contact springs or brushes 1 1 15 16 17 18 19, preferably six in number and all bearing very lightly on the edge of the disk 12. It is sufficient if they only touch the disk, causing but a minimum of friction. The brushes are carried on metal pins 20, which pass out through the ring 7, so that connection can be made therewith. The brushes 15 and 18 are crossconnected to serve as equalizers or are grounded, or both connected and grounded. he brushes 16 and 19 form the insulated tefil. nals of the machine, from which the electrical discharges are taken. The brush 14 is connected with one pair of sectors 10 by a conductor 21, passing, preferably, outside of the casing, and the brush 17 is similarly connected with the sectors 11.

In operation the disk, with its armatures, is rotated in. the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3. The brushes 1& and 17 receive electricity from the armatures as they pass and deliver it to the pairs of curved sectors 10 11. external circuit such charges as are induced in the armatures as they pass between the sectors, while the brushes 15 and 18 thoroughly discharge the armatures while still under the influence of the electrostatic induction of the charged sectors. The machine thus becomes a self-intensifying one.

By the disposition of the armatures on the insulating-disk 12 the electrostatic induction is only through the thickness of the very thin sheet 9, the disk being merely an insulatingcarrier and not subject to electrostatic induction in the ordinary sense as applied to influence-machines.

By the construction adopted there is practically no dead-space for air, and therefore the possibility of generating ozone is extremely slight. The tight joints between the plates 6 and the ring 7 make the resulting casing fluid-tight, so that it may be filled in whole or in part by an inert gas or liquid. 1 have found that such a machine will operate if the casing is filled with kerosene-oil. My invention is therefore particularly adapted for use as a waterproof influence machine, giving such a series of spark discharges as are suitable for the operation of sparking plugs in internal-combustion engines.

In accordance with the patentstatutesl have described the principle of operation of myinvention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. An electrostatic-influence machine having substantially no space for containing ozonized air around its active parts.

2. An electrostatic-influence machine comprising a closed casing for the moving parts filled with an insulating-oil.

3. An electrostatic-influence machine com- The brushes 16 and 19 deliver to the prising a closed casing for the moving parts filled with kerosene.

4:. An influence-machine having a casing provided with double walls of insulating material, and sectors embedded in said walls.

5. An influence-machine having a casing composed of plates of insulating material, sheets of mica inside the two plates, and sectors confined between said plates and sheets.

6. An influence-machine, comprising a easing having double walls, sectors embedded in said walls, .a disk of insulation rotatable between said walls in close proximity thereto, and a plurality of metallic segments on each side of said disk, the corresponding segments on opposite sides being connected.

7. An influence-machine having a casing containing pairs of insulated sectors, a disk of insulating material rotating between the sec to'rs, metallic segments on said disk, and stationary brushes touching the segments as they pass.

8. An influence-machine, comprising a casing having double walls, sectors embedded in said walls, connections between corresponding sectors in opposite walls of the machine, a disk of insulation rotatable between said walls in close proximity thereto, metallic segments on each side of said disk, and sets of brushes adapted to touch said segments as they pass, one set being connected with the sectors, another set being cross-conneeted and the third set being connected with the terminals of the machine.

9. An influence-machine, comprising a casing composed of plates of insulation, thin inner sheets of insulating material, a ring of insulating material to which said plates and sheets are fastened, and a rotating disk nearly filling the space inside said casing.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of August, 1903.

ELIHU THOMSON.

Witnesses:

DUGALD MoK. McKILLoP, CHATTIN BRADWAY. 

